Bracket with open channel

ABSTRACT

A vehicle rear-suspension bracket includes a bracket having raised lateral portions. The bracket includes a bumper portion and a frame portion. The raised lateral portions create a lateral channel between the lateral portions that extends an entire length of the bracket.

BACKGROUND

The embodiments described herein pertain to variations of a rear axlebumper bracket.

Typically, a rear axle bumper bracket has a flat surface for mating witha vehicle frame forms a pocket or reservoir, relative to the vehicleframe, in which dirt and other debris accumulate. The accumulation ofdirt and other debris can produce a corrosive effect on the vehicleframe.

SUMMARY

In one example embodiment, a vehicle rear-suspension bracket includes abracket having raised lateral portions. The bracket itself includes abumper portion and a frame portion. The raised lateral portions create alateral channel between the lateral portions that extends an entirelength of the bracket. The raised lateral portions corresponding to thebumper portion are substantially flush to a bottom portion of a rearbumper of the vehicle, and the raised lateral portions corresponding tothe frame portion are curved downward so as to be substantiallyperpendicular to the bumper portion of the bracket and substantiallyflush to a rear suspension frame of the vehicle.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be inany way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments,and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and featureswill become apparent by reference to the drawing and the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the detailed description that follows, embodiments are described asexamples only since various changes and modifications will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription.

FIG. 1 shows an example bracket with an open channel, in accordance withat least some of the implementations and/or embodiments describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawing, which forms a part of the description. In thedrawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unlesscontext dictates otherwise. Other embodiments may be utilized, and otherchanges may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of thesubject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that theaspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein andillustrated in the drawing, may be arranged, substituted, combined,separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations,all of which are explicitly contemplated herein.

FIG. 1 shows an example bracket 100 with an open channel 110, inaccordance with at least some of the implementations and/or embodimentsdescribed herein.

As depicted, bracket 100 may include, at least, raised portions 105,open channel 110, curvature 112, and drainage opening 115. Althoughillustrated as discrete components, these various components may bedivided into additional components, combined into fewer components, oreliminated altogether while being contemplated within the scope of thedisclosed subject matter. Further, it will be understood by those ofordinary skill in the art that each example component may beimplemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range ofphysical materials.

Bracket 100 may be utilized as an automotive rear-bumper suspensionbracket intended to, at least, provide for drainage of and through alower portion of the bracket.

Bracket 100 may be formed from of materials commonly or typically usedfor rear-bumper suspension brackets, including variations of metal,plastic, polyurethane, etc. Further, bracket 100 may be formed of onepiece of such material or of a combination thereof, as molded or meldedtogether.

Raised portions 105, generally, refer to lateral portions of bracket 100that extend above open channel 110, and are positioned to lie flushagainst a bottom portion of an automotive rear bumper and an automotiverear-suspension frame.

FIG. 1 shows raised portions 105A and 105B on a bumper portion ofbracket 100, and raised portions 105C and 105D on a frame portion ofbracket 100. Raised portions 105A and 105B are on opposite lateralportions of the bumper portion of bracket 100. For example, from anoverhead viewing perspective of bracket 100 as it is mounted to arear-suspension frame (not shown), raised portion 105A is on the leftside of the bumper portion of bracket 100, and raised portion 105B is onthe right side of the bumper portion of bracket 100. Raised portions105C and 105D are also on opposite lateral portions of the bumperportion of bracket 100. For example, from the aforementioned overheadviewing perspective of bracket 100, raised portion 105C is on the leftside of the bumper portion of bracket 100, and raised portion 105D is onthe right side of the bumper portion of bracket 100. Unless contextotherwise requires, the continuing description may refer singularly toraised portion 105, left raised portion 105 and/or right raised portion105.

The aforementioned bumper portion of bracket 100 may refer to theportion of bracket 100 that aligns with, and is detachably coupled to,an underside of a rear bumper of a vehicle. Referring to FIG. 1, lateralportions 105A and 105B are molded and/or formed to be substantiallyflush to a bottom portion of the rear bumper of the vehicle. Amanufacturer may create or bore a hole 106 in a central region of openchannel 110A, corresponding to the bumper portion of bracket 100, tothereby accommodate a fastening device, e.g., screw, to couple thebracket to the bottom portion of the rear bumper. Alternatively, or inaddition, the manufacturer may create symmetrical holes in lateralportions 105A and 105B so that a fastening mechanism, e.g., screw, maybe fitted therethrough and threaded into the bottom portion of the rearbumper.

Further, the bumper portion of bracket 100 may serve as a protectiveoverhang for a jounce bumper. Therefore, bracket 100 may be moldedand/or formed to extend outwardly, away from the rear-suspension frameof the vehicle, to a length that at least matches the radius of thejounce bumper so as to provide the top of the jounce bumper with fullcoverage from water and debris.

The aforementioned frame portion of bracket 100 may refer to the portionof bracket 100 that aligns with, and is detachably coupled to, therear-suspension frame of the vehicle. Referring to FIG. 1, lateralportions 105C and 105D are molded and/or formed to be substantiallyflush to the rear-suspension frame of the vehicle. A manufacturer maycreate or bore a hole in a central region of open channel 110B,corresponding to the frame portion of bracket 100, to therebyaccommodate a fastening device, e.g., screw, to couple the bracket tothe rear-suspension frame. Alternatively, or in addition, themanufacturer may create symmetrical holes in lateral portions 105C and105D so that a fastening mechanism, e.g., screw, may be fittedtherethrough and threaded into the rear-suspension frame.

The surface of the rear-suspension frame to which lateral portions 105Cand 105D are coupled is substantially perpendicular to the bottomsurface of the rear bumper to which lateral portions 105A and 105B arecoupled. Thus, bracket 100 may be molded and/or formed to curvedownward, forming perpendicular curvature 112, so that the frame portionof bracket 100 is substantially perpendicular to the bumper portion ofbracket 100. Curved portions 107A and 107B are illustrative examples,respectively, of the left and right sides of the bumper portion ofbracket 100 curving downward so that the frame portion and the bumperportion are substantially 90° to each other.

Open channel 110 may refer to a channeled portion of bracket 100 thatextends laterally for an entire length of bracket 100 between leftraised portion 105 and right raised portion 105. Bracket 100 may bemolded and/or formed to create open channel 100 to create a gap betweena central portion of bracket 100 and with the rear portion of the bumperas well as with the rear-suspension frame of the vehicle. Further, openchannel 110 may be open ended at a bottom thereof so that water andother fluids, as well as any debris, that collect in the bumper portionof bracket 100 or make contact with the frame portion of bracket 100 maybe drained away. That is, with reference to FIG. 1, water, fluid, and/ordebris that collect in bumper portion region 110A of open channel 110may be drawn by gravity or forced by a continuing buildup of water,fluid, debris, etc., over curvature 107 and downward through frameregion 110B of open channel 110. Because the frame region 110B of openchannel 110 is open-ended, thus forming opening 115, any liquid and/ordebris drawn from or forced over from the bumper region 110A of openchannel 110 is drawn away from the bracket as well as the jounce bumper,thus reducing any hazardous buildup. As a result, corrosion ordeterioration caused by the buildup of liquid and/or debris may beeliminated or, at the very least, significantly warded off.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments ofthe present disclosure have been described herein for purposes ofillustration, and that various modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intendedto be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by thefollowing claims.

We claim:
 1. A vehicle rear-suspension bracket, comprising: a brackethaving raised lateral portions, the bracket comprising: a bumperportion; and a frame portion; wherein: the raised lateral portionscreate a lateral channel between the lateral portions that extends anentire length of the bracket from the bumper portion of the bracket tothe frame portion of the bracket, the raised lateral portionscorresponding to the bumper portion are substantially flush to a bottomportion of a rear bumper of the vehicle, and the raised lateral portionscorresponding to the frame portion are curved downward so as to besubstantially perpendicular to the bumper portion of the bracket and aresubstantially flush to a rear suspension frame of the vehicle.
 2. Thevehicle rear-suspension bracket of claim 1, wherein the lateral channelextending through the length of the frame portion of the bracket createsa gap between a central portion of the bracket and the rear suspensionframe of the vehicle.
 3. The vehicle rear-suspension bracket of claim 2,wherein the lateral channel extending through the length of the frameportion of the bracket is open ended at a bottom thereof so that fluidand debris that collect in the bumper portion or make contact with theframe portion are drawn downward to the bottom of the bracket to bedrained away.
 4. The vehicle rear-suspension bracket of claim 2, whereinthe lateral channel extending through the length of the frame portion ofthe bracket is open ended at a bottom thereof to eliminate a buildup ofdebris between the bracket and the suspension frame of the vehicle. 5.The vehicle rear-suspension bracket of claim 2, wherein the lateralchannel extending through the length of the bumper portion of thebracket creates a gap between a central portion of the bracket and thebottom portion of the vehicle, and wherein further the lateral channelextending through the length of the bumper portion of the bracketdeclines in a direction towards the frame portion of the bracket.
 6. Thevehicle rear-suspension bracket of claim 5, wherein the bumper portionof the bracket assembly has a hole bored-through a central region of thechannel to accommodate a fastening device to couple the bracket to thebottom portion of the bumper of the vehicle.